India fought hard to earn a 1-1 draw against Tajikistan in an international friendly at the Hisor Central Stadium on Tuesday, ending the FIFA international window with a determined performance despite late heartbreak.
The Blue Tigers looked set for victory after Vikram Partap Singh scored his maiden international goal in the first half, but an 85th-minute penalty from Sheriddin Boboev denied India a win and ensured the hosts shared the spoils.
The result came four days after Tajikistan secured a 3-1 victory in the first friendly between the sides during the current international window. Tuesday’s contest marked the third meeting between the teams in less than a year, with India having defeated Tajikistan 2-1 in the CAFA Nations Cup last August.
India head coach Khalid Jamil handed starts to four players making their first appearance in the starting lineup for the national team. Pramveer, Bijoy Varghese, Nikhil Barla and Mohammed Sanan were all included, while Farukh Choudhary and Rahim Ali also returned to the side.
Tajikistan started strongly and dominated possession in the opening stages, forcing India to absorb pressure. However, the visitors gradually settled into the game and found a breakthrough in the 25th minute.
The move began when Sanan won a free-kick more than 30 yards from goal. Farukh delivered a dangerous effort directly toward goal, and although goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov failed to deal with it cleanly, Vikram reacted quickest to bundle the loose ball into the net from close range.
The goal gave India confidence, and the visitors defended resolutely for the remainder of the first half. Sandesh Jhingan produced a crucial intervention to deny Muhammadjon Rahimov, while Tajikistan struggled to seriously test goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu before the break.
The second half saw relentless pressure from the hosts. Igor Angelovski’s side pinned India deep inside their own half and created a series of opportunities through substitutes and attacking midfielders. Yet India’s defence continued to hold firm, aided by the introduction of Rahul Bheke, who made his 50th appearance for the national team.
The decisive moment arrived five minutes from time when Vikram was penalised for handball inside the penalty area after blocking a fierce effort from Furqon Rahimzoda. Boboev stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick into the top corner to level the scores.
Tajikistan nearly snatched victory deep into stoppage time, but Gurpreet produced an excellent low save to deny Alisher Shukurov and preserve the draw.
While India could not hold on for the win, the performance showcased resilience and provided several positives as the team continues its development under Khalid Jamil.
